Sweet Seduction
by Silver-Wolf22x
Summary: Kagome Higurashi, the most famous girl in Japan, holds a contest where the winner gets to exchange lives with her for a month. After Sango wins, how will Kagome deal with Sango's best friend, Inuyasha? And what if one of the girls refuses to trade back?
1. The Contest

Sweet Seduction  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha not mine...  
  
Chapter One – Contest  
  
Kagome Higurashi was beautiful, always, intelligent, always, and admired, always. Despite having inherited nearly a billion dollars after the death of her parents, she was also a professional movie star, violinist, and model. To say she was multitalented was an understatement.  
  
Flipping through the pages of a magazine that featured her on nearly every page, Kagome leaned back in her chair, completely ignoring the banging on her door. Despite popular opinion, she did not have a perfect life; nothing could be further from the truth.  
  
She sighed irritably and threw the issue at the door. The banging ceased for one second before continuing again.  
  
"Come in," she called, rather annoyed.  
  
The door swung open, revealing a harassed-looking reporter holding a battered microphone. "Miss Higurashi, you remember your appointment with us...?"  
  
"If I didn't remember, I do now," she replied, glaring daggers at the man. "Well, do hurry up. My time is rather limited, you know."  
  
"Of course, sorry." Turning to the cameramen, he spoke into the microphone. "And now, for our exclusive interview with the most beloved star in all of Japan, here's the famous celebrity Kagome Higurashi!" The camera focused on Kagome.  
  
Unfortunately for the reporter, Kagome's cell phone rang abruptly. She waited for the answering machine. The prerecorded voice spoke: '_Hello, Kagome's not here right now. Actually, she probably is waiting for you to leave a message so she can ignore you if you're a fan. Please leave a message after the beep._'  
  
The voice speaking was rather familiar, and Kagome snapped open her phone as soon as the familiar "Kagome, open this phone right now!" could be heard.  
  
"Hi, Miroku," she greeted eagerly. "Thank Kami-sama you called. I was about to die of boredom; all these idiot reporters are here again. Well, what's new?"  
  
Miroku laughed softly on the other end of the phone. "You know perfectly well I'm only calling because you asked me to get you out of the interview."  
  
"What's that?" Kagome faked. "Oh, no, your sister's missing, your cat's seriously injured, and you're being threatened by a thief with your own pistol? I'll be there right away." She ignored her friend's hysterical laughter as she pressed '_end'_. "Well, I'm sorry, whatever your name is, but a friend needs me, so I'll have to schedule the interview another time. Thanks, the door's that way, goodbye."  
  
"But Miss Higurashi, this was supposed to fill half our hour-long show!" the flustered reporter complained.  
  
"Really? What a tragedy. See you some other time." Kagome grabbed her bag and slammed the door as she left, ushering the news people out as she did so. "What a nuisance."

* * *

Miroku was waiting for her in front of his house. "Hey, Kagome. Did I get rid of those reporters for you?" At her affirmative nod, he smiled slyly. "You owe me one. Why don't you –"  
  
"No."  
  
"You didn't even hear what I was going to ask."  
  
Kagome shrugged. "Knowing you, it's something perverted and disgusting. So, found your sister yet?"  
  
He grinned. "Oh, yes. My imaginary sibling is at home petting the imaginary cat and playing with the not-so-imaginary pistol."  
  
"Naughty, naughty Miroku. Ever heard of the phrase 'don't play with fire'?"  
  
Miroku shrugged absently. "Naturally, but I've never heard of the saying 'don't play with firearms'." He grinned crookedly at her. "By the way, what's so bad about being interviewed?"  
  
"Lots." Kagome pushed open her companion's door and barged in.  
  
Miroku sighed, exasperated. "Kagome, what you need is a nice, long vacation, preferably to somewhere where you aren't attacked by snobby fans all the time."  
  
She blinked at him. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Miroku. Unfortunately, it's also impossible."  
  
"Nothing's impossible," her companion replied grandly. "Well, actually, some things are. Hmm." He lapsed into thoughtfulness.  
  
Kagome waited patiently.  
  
"I've got it!" he yelled excitedly. "You are going to have a contest!"  
  
She blinked again. "Um...what?"  
  
"A violin contest," he explained. "You should be a good enough judge at that, right? Well, here's the plan: you are going to find that reporter of yours and announce publicly that you will have a contest to determine the best violin player in the country! Other than you, of course."  
  
"That's great, but where does my vacation come in?" she demanded.  
  
"Here it comes," Miroku replied with a flourish. "Whoever wins gets to trade lives with you for a month! You'll get to live somewhere nice and normal, and meanwhile, you'll make the dreams of a pretty girl come true!"  
  
"If the winner's pretty, I'll be making _your_ dreams come true," Kagome replied sarcastically. "But actually, that's not a bad idea. I think...I'll do it."  
  
Miroku smiled triumphantly. "Perfect. Now...just make sure your judging is biased towards any lovely girls!"  
  
"Miroku, you think anything with a female figure is lovely," Kagome reminded him. "Now, I have to find a random reporter. They're all dying to interview me." She rolled her sapphire eyes. "Well, bye, Miroku, and thanks for the idea!" Waving, she sauntered out of his house.  
  
He watched her go, grinning slightly. "Have fun, Kagome!" he yelled to her retreating back. "I hope she picks someone decent..."

* * *

"And here at CNN live, we have the amazing Kagome Higurashi, teenage star!" the TV set blared. Sango Taijiya stared wistfully at the undoubtedly beautiful girl who was flashing her well-known flawless smile at the cameras. How she wished she could be Kagome, if only for a month.  
  
Kagome was speaking into the microphone now, running her hands through her long, silky hair. "Well, I've decided that all this celebrity stuff is getting slightly...repetitive, and besides, Miroku's been telling me I need a vacation. So...I came up with an idea to remedy both problems."  
  
"Miroku's your ex-boyfriend, is he not?" the newsperson asked, eager to add some allure to the interview.  
  
The girl flushed. "He most certainly is not! How dare you! We're practically siblings! I'm going to CNBC! To all viewers, catch me on in half an hour!" She waved and ran out of the building, leaving a flustered anchorwoman behind.  
  
Sango blinked at the TV screen. "That was sudden," she remarked wryly.  
  
The back door swung open, and soon a silver-haired youth sauntered confidently in, holding a soda in one hand. "Hey, Sango, what's wrong with that reporter on TV? She looks a bit confused."  
  
"Kagome Higurashi just ran out of an interview," Sango replied bemusedly. "Inuyasha, that's my soda you're drinking!"  
  
The other took a long slurp. "I'm aware of that. Kagome Higurashi, did you say?"  
  
"Yep." Sango sighed wistfully. "She said she'll be on CNBC in a while...she's holding some sort of contest thing."  
  
"She said she'd be on CNBC before asking them?" Inuyasha growled. "I loathe those cocky rich spoiled brats who get everything they want. Especially her. I mean, you're just as good at the violin as she is, especially with your father's Stradivarius violin."  
  
Sango just laughed at him.  
  
"Ok, maybe not, but you're damn close," her friend said, flipping the channels until he came to CNBC. "Well, let's see what that wench has to say."  
  
"Don't call her that! I'm sure she's a really nice girl who's merely lucky enough to inherit money from her parents."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged languidly, his golden eyes dark, as Kagome bounced back on the screen.  
  
"Hi to all my fans, friends, and family! This is Kagome Higurashi speaking –" she pointedly ignored the reporter behind her who'd just been interrupted in the middle of a hurricane warning – "and I'm here with a rather important announcement that's not about hurricanes."  
  
"She's so stupid," Inuyasha growled.  
  
"1600 SAT score, went to Yale, and you're calling her stupid? Hypocrite," Sango muttered, listening keenly to the girl on the screen.  
  
"Anyways, I decided that I'm completely bored of being labeled as a cocky, rich, spoiled brat all the time just because I'm famous," Kagome continued into the microphone.  
  
Sango grinned evilly at her companion, who turned defiantly away.  
  
"So my loyal friend, Miroku, gave me the idea of exchanging lives with a person in Japan for an entire month! To win, send in an application for a slot. It's a contest for the best violin player in Japan!" Kagome grinned at the screen. "Just send a letter asking for a slot and I'll be the judge!" Handing back the microphone to the reporter, the girl flounced off the screen again.  
  
"I thought that girl _was_ the best violinist in Japan," Inuyasha remarked sarcastically.  
  
"She is, but she's not arrogant enough to say that," Sango retorted.  
  
Her companion shrugged. "You know, I think you should try out for this contest. I mean, you're really good, and besides, you do need a taste of this royal life that Higurashi girl has."  
  
"Me, compete? You're joking," the girl declared, tossing back her long hair.  
  
Shrugging, Inuyasha smiled. "It was only a suggestion," he replied. "Well, I got to go now. Here's your soda." He handed her the empty can. "Say hi to the brat for me, will you? Thanks."  
  
"Bye, Inuyasha," Sango called, waving. "Me, win the competition?" she mused. "Impossible."  
  
But the thought still lingered in her mind...

* * *

Kagome grinned at Miroku. "Well, it's done," she announced proudly. "And, since you were the one who gave me the idea, you will also be in charge of the mail!"  
  
"You...you're kidding, right?" Miroku demanded. "I'm a busy man! I don't have time to sort through heaps of junk!"  
  
She smiled at him.  
  
Few men could resist that smile, and unfortunately for him, Miroku was definitely not one of them.  
  
"Damn you," he muttered, but glanced resignedly at the giant box by the door where Kagome stored her fan mail. "All right, when do I start?"  
  
Kagome gestured to the box, where her employees were unloading the first letters. "Now."

* * *

Inuyasha carefully wrote with his left hand, disguising his handwriting. 'Hello,' the letter read, 'my name is Sango Taijiya. I've been studying the violin for twelve years. Please let me have a chance to play for you. Thank you.'  
  
He smirked as he stuffed the paper into an envelope and scribbled his friend's address down on the front. "Who knows," he mused. "Perhaps she really will win, and then she'll thank me."

* * *

Miroku slit open another envelope and pulled out the letter. "Hello, I'm Sakura," he read aloud. "Oh, it's a girl." He marked the name 'Sakura' onto a form that had enough slots for a thousand people. He pulled open the next. "This is Akira. Ok, not a girl." That letter went into the paper shredder.  
  
Kagome bounced cheerily in. Her mood had been heightening since she'd announced the contest. "Hi, Miroku, how's it going?"  
  
He waved the chart at her.  
  
She picked it up. "Hmm...Kagura, Kanna, Midoriko, Kikyo, Sakura, Ayame, Amarante, Yuka, Yura, Eri, Ayumi..." She continued scanning the list. "Miroku, why are all these contestants females?"  
  
He looked at her innocently. "Perhaps the males figured there'd be no point in coming here if you were going to be gone the entire month."  
  
"Nice try. I'd better see at least five males on that chart out of the thousand people." Kagome tossed the list back at him and sauntered away.  
  
"You just had to do that, didn't you?" Miroku yelled after her. "What if those five males take the place of five gorgeous, talented females that could have come?"  
  
She merely flashed him a smile and slammed the door behind her.  
  
"Ugh." Miroku picked up the next letter. "Hi, my name is Sango..." He wrote the name on the chart. "Ok, I promise that the next five males I find in this pile will be placed on the list."  
  
However, as luck would have it, he managed to keep forgetting, and by the time the chart was filled, no males had managed to make their way on the list.

* * *

Sango picked up the fancily bordered envelope from her front porch and inspected it carefully. She pulled open the top, lifting out the letter within, and froze.  
  
Sango Taijiya: Participant in the Higurashi Violin Competition  
Time: 7:45 AM  
Date: 9/14  
Located at the Higurashi Towers' Auditorium 1  
Thank you for your participation, and good luck!  
-Kagome Higurashi  
  
She dropped the envelope. Clutching the letter, she ran into her house and grabbed the phone, punching in the numbers hastily. As soon as it was picked up, she screamed, "Inuyasha!"  
  
"Yeah?" the disembodied voice replied grumpily. "I was sleeping."  
  
"Inuyasha, I made it! I was accepted into the contest!"  
  
"Huh? What contest?"  
  
"Don't be silly," she admonished. "You were the one who entered me, weren't you?"  
  
Inuyasha paused. "Oh, you mean the violin contest. You were given an audition time? Well, that's great, Sango. Now, do you mind? Some people sleep at this time."  
  
"Oh, yes, I forgot. I'm not allowed to call you until the sun's directly overhead." She rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks anyways, Inuyasha!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Goodbye." _click_  
  
Sango rushed up the dilapidated stairs to the master bedroom in the house, where a young boy was staring blankly out the window. "Kohaku," she said softly.  
  
The boy turned, his eyes blank. "Oh, hello. Your name's...um...Sango, right?"  
  
She nodded sadly. "Yes, I'm Sango. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm fine, thanks," he replied politely, like she were a stranger instead of his sister.  
  
"That's good." She paused. "Kohaku, on Saturday I'm going to be driving down to the Higurashi Towers where I have a violin contest, ok?"  
  
He nodded. "Ok. Good luck. I hope you win." He turned back to the window.  
  
Sango tried not to cry.

* * *

"Miroku!" Kagome roared. "How could you have shredded every letter from a male?"  
  
"I don't know," Miroku cowered.  
  
She sighed. "Oh well. So, when to the auditions start?"  
  
He checked the list. "Um...tomorrow."  
  
"Fine. By the way, how's your hand doing? I can't believe you were attacked by a rabid monkey at the zoo."  
  
Miroku grimaced. "Well, other than the fact that there's a hole in the center of my palm, I'm ok, I suppose."  
  
"Always the melodrama," Kagome teased, before slipping out of the room.  
  
Going into her own suite, she lifted her instrument, the most perfectly crafted violin money could buy, and placed the bow gently on the strings.  
  
The familiar famous first notes of Mendelssohn's Concerto in E Minor rolled out.  
  
And standing there, immersed in her music, Kagome didn't notice the bloodred eyes watching her through the windows.

* * *

Sitting in an extremely comfortable velvet-upholstered armchair, Kagome smiled politely at the first contestant, a trembling girl holding a rather cheap-looking violin. "What's your name?" she asked.  
  
"My name's Leiko," the girl replied. "Should...should I start playing now?"  
  
"If you like," Kagome answered calmly. However, her serenity soon evaporated in the face of the girl's horrible screeching.  
  
"Stop...Stop, please!...STOP PLAYING!"  
  
The girl subsided. "So, how was it?"  
  
Kagome tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "Interesting," she said doubtfully. "Please send the next person in."  
  
The next person who entered was a small, extremely pale slip of a girl, who didn't smile. "What's your name?" Kagome asked curiously.  
  
"Kanna," the girl whispered softly.  
  
"Well, Kanna, you can start playing whenever you like."  
  
Kanna lifted her amazingly polished instrument and played 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'. Granted, her tone was wonderful, but the tune was just a bit simple.  
  
"Thank you. Send the next in."  
  
And so it went. The novelty wore off after a while. Every so often, a decent person would enter, and Kagome would hope that there was some characteristic that would place that person above the others, but there never was.  
  
It stretched on continually.  
  
On Saturday, after terrifying squeaks and complaints from Miroku that his head hurt (which was partially from his being slapped after he tried getting more friendly with the contestants), Kagome was almost ready to give up.  
  
Until the next girl entered.  
  
Kagome's attention was immediately drawn to the violin carried. She peered at it closely, then looked up at the girl. "Sango, did you say your name was? May I examine your instrument?"  
  
Sango, quite nervous, handed it over immediately. She was starting to regret thanking Inuyasha for entering her in this contest. She just wanted to go home and tend to Kohaku. Not that he was missing her, but still...  
  
"Is this a Stradivarius?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Very well," she said, handing back the exquisite violin. "You may begin."  
  
It'd taken Sango a surprisingly short time to decide which piece to play. She launched into Mendelssohn's Concerto in E, racing vigorously through the runs, her arpeggios in the cadenza flawless. When the ringing of her last note died into the air, she finally put down the instrument.  
  
Kagome was crying.  
  
"What's wrong? Was...was I that bad?" Sango asked worriedly.  
  
The celebrity looked up from her table. "You can dismiss everyone else," she replied, "because I've chosen the winner. I wasn't crying because you were bad. I was crying because you really are better than me."  
  
Sango just stared.  
  
"I've been looking for someone to rise up and push me away," Kagome explained. "I don't want to be the best. You wouldn't understand all the pressure that comes with the title. Always, everyone's striving to defeat you. All you ever hear is 'Oh, I bet I'm better than the Higurashi girl,' and so on."  
  
Sango didn't know what to say.  
  
Kagome looked away. "Well, now I've found you, and I don't know whether I'm happy or sad." She looked up at Sango. "Are you sure you want to spend a month in my life?"  
  
Sango glanced at the glory of the room, the gilden walls, the tapestries, everything. Then she looked past all that, to the sorrow and anger of the trapped Kagome.  
  
She nodded. She wasn't doing this for herself. She was doing this for the girl, trapped within a cage of fame, unable to break free.  
  
As if Kagome had read her thoughts, the other girl smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

The newpaper headline the next day read, 'Kagome Higurashi to switch lives with Sango Taijiya for a month! The teen queen learns of life from a different perspective! Let's see what will happen!' Underneath was a huge article describing Kagome, Sango, and the contest.  
  
Sango was being interviewed with Kagome. She was amazed at how Kagome kept her poise through the entire recording session, even though the bright lights were shining directly in her eyes.  
  
The reported turned to Sango. "And now, Miss Taijiya, what are your feelings about this whole thing?"  
  
"Um..." Sango stuttered, trying to ignore the clicking of cameras. "Well...I guess it's a great opportunity, and...yeah."  
  
"Could you be a bit more precise?"  
  
"Not really," Sango replied. "Well...I'm really happy to be learning how Kagome lives...I mean, she's so famous, and I want to see how it feels..." She would have said more, but the reporter yanked the microphone away, returning to Kagome.  
  
"As for you, Miss Higurashi, how do you view this exchange?"  
  
Kagome's smile was pure poison. "I'll be delighted to get away from reporters that chase after me all the time," she answered as sweetly as possible. "I wish Sango luck in staying away from fans, too." Though the reporter jerked the microphone away, Kagome, with a devious smile, yanked it right back.  
  
The reporter blinked.  
  
"Also, I hope that Miroku can stop harassing every girl in sight – that's a warning to you, Sango – and I also can keep dreaming of not being assaulted by tabloids when I come back." She tossed the microphone absently out the window and stood. "Now, I really must be going. I need to show Sango around this place."  
  
Sango followed obediently as Kagome dragged her outside.  
  
"I thought your advisor was showing me around," Sango remarked.  
  
Kagome grinned. "Oh, he is. I just wanted to get out of that interview. Now, what was your address again?"  
  
"Fifteen Wasai Lane, Tokyo, Japan," she recited.  
  
The star smiled. "Ok, thanks. I'm leaving in a bit. Actually, I'm going to say goodbye to Miroku, so you'd better come along." She swept Sango with her as she darted out the door towards the large room at the end of the hall.  
  
Knocking, Kagome waited for exactly three seconds before she turned the doorknob and entered. "Miroku!" she called.  
  
A rather disheveled young man emerged from under the blankets. "Don't worry, I was just sleeping...alone..." he assured her, seeing her dubious expression. His gaze turned to Sango. "And who might this lovely young lady be, Kagome?"  
  
"This is Sango Taijiya. You know, the girl that won. Well, I'm leaving now, Miroku, so see you soon. Can you come visit me sometime?"  
  
"Sure," Miroku replied. "Address?"  
  
"Um...fifteen Wasai Lane, Tokyo, Japan. Sango, you come too. By the way, you mentioned that you had a brother. Is he in the house, or do you want him to come over here?"  
  
"He's better off staying in the house," Sango replied softly. "My friend Inuyasha will take care of him. You needn't worry about that. There's a swimming pool in the back of our house where you can relax, too. It might be a bit small..."  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's fine," Kagome reassured Sango. "Well, see you guys later!" She brushed a perfunctory kiss on Miroku's cheek, hugged Sango, and whirled out the door.

* * *

The doorknob turned slowly. Carefully, Kagome stepped inside. She looked in amazement at the tiny and hardly immaculate rooms.  
  
A step from upstairs alerted her to another presence. "That's probably Sango's brother," Kagome murmured, walking up the steps.  
  
Someone barreled into her, pinning her at the landing. "You're not Sango," a voice hissed.  
  
'A talking guarddog?' Kagome wondered mentally.  
  
"Who are you? Speak up!"  
  
"Er...are you Sango's brother?" she inquired nervously.  
  
"No, I'm not," her assailant replied. "Now, what's your name? I could report you to the police!"  
  
"My name's Kagome Higurashi, and I basically own the police," Kagome replied sarcastically. "Now, could you get off me?"  
  
"You're Kagome?" Her attacker stood up. "You mean, Sango won?"  
  
"Yes, she did, as a matter of fact. Who the hell are you? I'm supposed to be taking care of her house, you know."  
  
He looked away, mildly embarrassed. "Feh. My name's Inuyasha, and Sango asked me to watch over Kohaku whenever she was gone."  
  
"Oh. Is Kohaku her brother?" Kagome tried asking random questions while studying the boy carefully.  
  
Inuyasha's silvery hair fell just past his shoulders. Brilliant golden eyes flashed with fire one minute, but dulled the next. His ears were strangely pointed, almost triangular, and his nose was rather pointed as well. His fingernails were also uncommonly long.  
  
"I'm leaving now," Inuyasha informed her. "I happen not to enjoy the company of snobby rich girls. Kohaku's in there, if you want to see him." He stormed down the stairs, and she heard the door slam.  
  
Kagome glared after him, then entered the room. In the corner, a boy was curled under a blanket, drinking what looked like soup. She moved closer.  
  
The boy glanced up. "Hello," he said softly. "I think my name's Kohaku. Are you Sango?"  
  
She shivered at the blank confusion in the boy's eyes. "No, I'm not Sango."  
  
"Oh, I forgot! Sango told me she was going to a contest."  
  
"That's right." Kagome sat down on the edge of his bed. "She won."  
  
"Good, she deserves to win. She tries to make me remember myself." Kohaku shrugged. "I usually can't remember anything, but it's really nice of her to try, especially since she's just a stranger."  
  
"She's your sister," Kagome whispered.  
  
"She's told me that before, but I forgot that, too." Kohaku sighed. "Well, who are you?"  
  
"My name's Kagome Higurashi," she replied. "I'm...a friend of Sango's."  
  
"Oh, you are? That's good," Kohaku answered fretfully. "I think I've seen you before. You're not my sister, are you?"  
  
"No..." Kagome said, puzzled.  
  
Kohaku peered more closely at her. "I know! You're that pretty lady who's always on when Sango lets me watch TV."  
  
Kagome blushed slightly. "Yes, I suppose so. Now, Sango told me to make sure you got some rest, so put down your soup and go to sleep."  
  
"Soup?" Kohaku blinked. "This is hot chocolate."  
  
She stared at the little lumps floating in it. "Well, put that down and go to sleep. I'm going to relax in the pool."  
  
Kohaku nodded and relaxed against the pillow, his breathing shallow.  
  
"I really need to teach that friend of Sango's how to cook," Kagome muttered to herself as she pulled on her two-piece bathing suit and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Walking out into the backyard, she smiled at the blue-green waters.  
  
She carefully climbed up to the diving board and bounced on her heels three times before diving in, her body arcing in a smooth curve.  
  
Slipping into the water with barely a splash, Kagome swam underneath until her lungs were burning. She resurfaced reluctantly, gasping for air. The temperature was pleasant, even if the pool was rather tiny compared to her usual one...  
  
No. If she was going to enjoy this vacation, she needed to forget about her normal life.  
  
She floated on her back and watched the clouds drift peacefully by. Their stark whiteness against the blue sky contrasted splendidly. Watching their shapes shift, she giggled as she spotted a dog, an elephant, and...an Inuyasha?  
  
Shrieking, she righted herself and glared indignantly at the youth. "What are you doing here?" she sputtered.  
  
He glared at her. "I'm swimming," he replied. "Sango gave me permission."  
  
Kagome shrugged. "You could at least warn me," she muttered, spitting out water. "Oh well, I'm getting out anyways." She pulled herself out of the pool.  
  
"You don't really have to," Inuyasha replied mulishly.  
  
"This pool's a bit small, and since you were given the right by Sango, you can go ahead," Kagome answered, slightly apologetically.  
  
Inuyasha glowered. "I forgot, you're so famous you're used only to huge, rich, expensive things," he snapped. "Well, get over it, because we're not quite as amazingly famous as you, and you'd better stop hoping for the best."  
  
She whirled, and he recoiled; her eyes were snapping fire. "You narrow- minded jerk!" she snarled venomously. "You think that just because I'm famous for being a model and movie star, I'm exactly like the other stereotypical famous losers who sit around all day and enjoy receiving hundreds of fan letters each day. Well, here's news to you: I hate it all!"  
  
Inuyasha tried saying something, but she continued with her tirade.  
  
"Why do you think I arranged this vacation in the first place? I needed to get away from all the flashing lights and the catwalks! Also, I was hoping that whoever took my place would be disillusioned, that I would save another girl from aspiring to become famous!"  
  
She paused for a second before continuing with her rant.  
  
"So, I came here, into this nice, pretty street in Tokyo, hoping that I could find peace, and here you are! An egotistical, hypocritical loser who just has to spoil my outing! For Kami-sama's sake, do you think I actually like being a star? I'm trapped, ok? I can't get out of it, because everywhere I go, people follow me!"  
  
She turned and stormed away, slamming the porch door hard behind her.  
  
Inuyasha stared after her, his ears drooping ever so slightly.  
  
Kagome sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter. 'Perhaps this contest wasn't such a good idea after all...'

* * *

Sango was quite pissed.  
  
It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Kagome's huge complex. The place was undeniably beautiful, exotic flowers blooming eternally, nightingales singing even in broad daylight.  
  
No, she adored the towers. The only problem with the tour was her tour guide.  
  
Namely, Miroku.  
  
At first, the neverending attention he lavished upon her was pleasing. She'd never been treated like that before, and she found she enjoyed it immensely.  
  
However, his wandering hands began to be somewhat of a nuisance, and after Sango slapped him for the seventh time in a row, she whirled on him.  
  
"Could you possibly STOP THAT?" she roared.  
  
Miroku stared at her. "It's not me," he explained smoothly. "It's my cursed hand."  
  
"Nice try," she retorted. "From now on, you can walk in front of me instead of next to me."  
  
"Ah, I'm wounded," Miroku gasped melodramatically. "But I shall do as you ask, fair lady." He lead the way towards a pool. Peering in, Sango saw a group of young children, laughing and playing together, and she suddenly felt a stab of pain in her heart as she remembered Kohaku.  
  
'Perhaps this contest wasn't such a good idea after all...' 


	2. Anger

* * *

Sweet Seduction  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine...  
  
Chapter Two – Anger  
  
Miroku awoke to the angry yells coming down the corridor. The shatter of glass from somewhere outside alerted him that things were definitely not right. Pulling on his jacket and jeans, he hurried hastily towards the direction of the chaos.  
  
Sango was currently tossing miscellaneous vases at the dodging reporters. "How dare you ask me to slander Kagome when she's the one who gave me this opportunity in the first place?" she yelled. "Just because she's perfect outwards, you feel that you need to find some inner flaw? Well, you're not finding it from me!" A small white statue of a cherub holding a flower smashed against the wall. "Get out of here! Out!"  
  
"Sango, my dear, what the hell do you think you're doing?" a calm voice inquired from behind.  
  
She glanced up at Miroku. "Well, one thing I'm doing is chasing these reporters out of this house, and the other thing is asking you if you would please remove your hand from my body."  
  
He frowned. "Hey, Watanabe!" he yelled at one of the fleeing reporters, who turned, sensing that someone a bit more sane than Sango was present.  
  
The reporter moved cautiously over. "Yes, sir?"  
  
"Miss Higurashi gave strict orders that the media was to be kept off the premises. She also mentioned that any violators would be politely asked to interview her personally trained German Shepard."  
  
"She...she did?" Watanabe replied nervously.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact. Also, if her Shepard wasn't satisfactory, she also befriended a wolf, who's currently relaxing in the backyard, if you want to go talk to him."  
  
Apparently, Sango's vase-throwing wasn't as effective as Miroku's not-so- subtle threats, because the reporter scampered out like a hoard of youkai were chasing him.  
  
Miroku turned to Sango. "That's the way to handle them. However, you can't really afford to do that with every reporter you meet, of course. People will start saying that Kagome has bad taste in choosing you."  
  
Sango shrugged. "True. I wonder how Kagome's doing, anyways."

* * *

Stretching, Kagome rolled out of bed and felt her head connect with a table. "That table's not supposed to be there!" she mumbled as she stood up. "Stupid table...wait, where am I?"  
  
It took her a minute to remember her surroundings. Blearily entering the kitchen, she yanked open the cupboards and began rummaging through them for something edible. She pulled out a few packages of instant ramen, noticed that she was still in her pajamas, and went up to change.  
  
Spreading out her various outfits on the bed, she surveyed them doubtfully. The silk gown might have fit in one of her well-known parties, but it certainly wouldn't do here. She tossed it into her suitcase without caring whether it wrinkled.  
  
The same happened to the next sixteen silk gowns she stumbled across. They all tumbled unceremoniously into the case, growing rather creased in the process.  
  
Pushing piles of clothes around, Kagome realized the flaw in her packing: she'd forgotten to put any normal outfits in her luggage.  
  
She finally tugged on a stylish dress (of course it was stylish; everything she wore instantly became the new style) with slits up the sides and stepped into rather high heels. She'd never really gotten into the hang of heels. It seemed that every time she took a step, she'd teeter around unsteadily until she gained her balance, at which point she took another step.  
  
Oh well. Kagome began to head downstairs, but turned and knocked lightly on the door of Kohaku's bedroom.  
  
The boy was again seated by the window. "Good morning, Sango," he said quietly, watching the sun.  
  
"It's Kagome," she replied, feeling mildly embarrassed.  
  
He turned. "Oh, hello. When's Sango going to be back?"  
  
"I think she'll come sometime soon," Kagome answered. "I'm not sure exactly when she's coming to visit."  
  
Kohaku nodded.  
  
"Did you want any breakfast?" Kagome asked softly.  
  
He shook his head. "I'm not usually hungry. Maybe I'll just wait a while."  
  
"Ok." She turned to leave, but he called her back.  
  
"Kagome? If Sango's friend comes over, tell him that I'm sleeping," Kohaku explained, before curling back on his bed.  
  
"Sure," she replied, but he was already in a restless slumber, tossing and twisting the blankets.  
  
She closed the door slowly and made her way downstairs.  
  
The ramen was gone.  
  
"Inuyasha!" she yelled. "I know you're here! Give back my breakfast! I don't care what Sango told you; I'm hungry!"  
  
The boy padded out from the living room, glaring at her. "What do you want, brat?"  
  
"Don't call me that, hypocrite," she snarled.  
  
"Well, you're wearing a fucking silk dress and you're not even planning to go anywhere!"  
  
Her sapphire eyes darkened. "How would you know I'm not going anywhere? Actually, I'm going out for breakfast." She turned to the door.  
  
"I wouldn't advise that," he hummed rather smugly.  
  
"And just why not?"  
  
Inuyasha grinned. "Never mind. I'll let you find out for yourself."  
  
Kagome shrugged and yanked open the door. The nice, quiet, peaceful street was no longer nice, quiet, or peaceful.  
  
"I should have guessed," she muttered as the news reporters clamored to get a clear shot of her.  
  
Grabbing the nearest microphone, Kagome roared, "Everyone, silence!"  
  
Quiet reigned immediately.  
  
"Look," she snapped. "I came here for a nice, normal vacation, as in I don't want any of you following me around anywhere. Now, do you know where the nearest restaurant is?"  
  
The resulting din was deafening.  
  
"This is pathetic," she muttered, tossing the microphone to the ground and stepping on it. She moved to the curb, where a couple of taxis were gathered, waiting for her to make an appearance. Picking a random one, she leapt in a slammed the door shut.  
  
"Miss Higurashi, where would you like to go?" the driver asked pleasantly.  
  
Kagome considered the question. "Erm...do you know where I could get a decent breakfast?"  
  
"Certainly," the other replied. As the taxi pulled away from the curb, Kagome relaxed. She didn't notice that all the news vehicles had pulled away as well, and were currently trailing her.  
  
As soon as she stepped out of the cab, she was assaulted by more flashing lights and cameras. Kagome groaned and rushed inside the restaurant, where the owner peered up at the streams of people entering.  
  
Kagome slipped behind the smallest table, very pointedly picking up the menu that a bewildered waitress handed her. Immediately, reporters slid next to her, calling out questions frenziedly.  
  
She stood suddenly, her eyes flashing.  
  
"Look," she said, extremely icily. "My threats, which I'm sure you've all heard, of my wolf and my German Shepard are not idle. And unless you stop bothering me in ten seconds, I will have them shipped from my house to here. Need I remind you that I also have an entire police force dedicated to me?"  
  
The reporters rushed away from her table and out the door.  
  
"Finally," she muttered. To the waitress, she said, "I'll have a glass of white wine, an omelette with mushrooms, onions, and peppers, and a large chocolate sundae."  
  
"May I see your I.D.?" the waitress inquired. "There's the problem of the alcohol..."  
  
Kagome pulled it out without thinking.  
  
The girl grabbed it and gasped. "You're Kagome Higurashi? Can I have your signature? I'm, like, your biggest fan! I love your dress; it's so pretty! Could you come over to my house sometime? This is just, like, so cool! I can't believe I'm actually talking to you! Oh, my god! I think I'll faint!"  
  
This continued on for some time until Kagome snapped, "The answers to all your questions except for the first are no, no, no." She got up, ignoring the flustered girl, and stormed out of the restaurant, still hungry.  
  
As soon as she managed to get back to Sango's house, she slammed the door and rushed up the stairs, ignoring Inuyasha, who was watching her with somewhat of a cynical expression. She pulled out her laptop and flipped it open, logging onto her screen name.  
  
_SilverGoddess2000 has logged on_.  
  
Kouga grinned at the address. He immediately instant messaged her, under the name WolfYoukai1541.  
  
Kagome was delighted.  
  
SilverGoddess2000: Hi, Kouga! How's your medal collection coming along? WolfYoukai1541: Well, I hate to brag, but I'm the fastest runner the world's ever seen. SilverGoddess2000: Conceited. Hey, can you call me? If I stay on the internet any longer, some obsessed fans will start trying to IM me. WolfYoukai1541: Sure.  
  
Kagome waited patiently for her cell phone to ring. "Hi, Kouga!" she yelled happily.  
  
"Hey, Kag, how're you doing, anyways? I heard my little girl got famous!"  
  
"Ugh! Kouga, don't call me that!"  
  
"Whysoever not? What's wrong, anyways, darling? You sound a bit pissed."  
  
Kagome sighed. "My vacation. I assume you read about the contest."  
  
"Yes, indeed, I did. You exchanged places with someone called Song?"  
  
"Sango, actually. Well, I expected a nice, quiet time, with no reporters, but somehow the address leaked out, and, well..."  
  
"Ah." Kouga paused to consider that. "Hmm. That is somewhat of a dilemma. Haven't you threatened them with your wolf yet?"  
  
"You're my wolf, Kouga. And yes, and it's worked for some time, but they keep swarming back every day." She sighed.  
  
Kouga paused again. "What do you say I come over? Maybe once they actually see your wolf they'll all be scared and run away."  
  
Kagome laughed. "Not likely. But can you really come over? It'd be great! Address is 15 Wasai Lane, Tokyo, Japan."  
  
There was a short silence before Kouga replied curtly, "I'll be there on Sunday. Bye, Kag." There was a sharp click, and the phone died.  
  
"I wonder why he sounded so angry at the end?" Kagome wondered, before dismissing the thought. As her stomach gave a loud rumble, she sighed. "I guess I'd better go get something to eat."

* * *

Sango peered closely at the closet. "You mean...this is all mine?"  
  
Miroku nodded. "Actually, it used to be Kag's, but she never wears the same thing twice." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, you need something decent to wear. Your concert's at two."  
  
"My what?" Sango demanded, turning to face him. "Did you just say 'concert', or was it my imagination?"  
  
"Taking over for Kagome includes her recitals, too," Miroku explained. "Did you think it was all fun and games? The only thing you don't have to worry about is modeling. Kikyo's taking care of that."  
  
"Who's Kikyo?"  
  
"Some random girl. She auditioned for the contest, too. She looks just like Kagome, so Kagome decided to set her up in the modeling business. Kikyo's really grateful, and offered to take over the modeling for her."  
  
Sango grimaced. "She sounds ambitious. Anyways, where's this concert I'm supposed to take care of?"  
  
"It's only a half hour drive from here. However, Suki needs to take care of your appearance, so choose a dress and hurry up. She's not a very patient girl."  
  
"Suki? Is that my makeup artist or something?" Sango joked.  
  
"Of course. By the way, you're scheduled to play the Mendelssohn concerto. I doubt you'll have any problems with that." He grabbed a gown and thrust it into her hands. "Look, Suki's going to murder me if you don't hurry up, so get going!"  
  
Clutching the dress, Sango scurried in the direction that Miroku gestured. She knocked tentatively on the door at the end of the corridor and waited.  
  
She didn't wait for long. The door opened almost instantaneously. "You're going to be LATE!" shrieked the girl who yanked her inside. "Get into that dress right now! No, don't tug, you'll stretch the shape! I don't know what you were thinking, waiting until you only had ONE HOUR left, and if you look bad Miss Higurashi will slaughter me."  
  
"Er...Suki?"  
  
"No, Suki's in the back. I'm supposed to do the first stage, which is basically getting you dressed. She's the artist; I'm the apprentice. My name's Kirara; not that you needed to know that, but still." She pulled the dress into place.  
  
Sango squirmed. "This is going to rip as soon as I start playing."  
  
"That's too bad. Suki!"  
  
A slightly older girl came calmly out of the back. "Hello, Miss Taijiya. I just want to inform you that you are a complete idiot. Now, if you would pivot slowly so that I may arrange your purely disgusting hair...?"  
  
"Don't worry," Kirara whispered. "She thinks that everyone except for Miss Higurashi is filthy."  
  
"Silence, Kirara. Now, tilt your head slightly. Perfect." She poked a few pins into Sango's head – that's what it felt like, anyways.  
  
"Tilt to the left." Another stab. "Right." Another stab. Sango gritted her teeth.  
  
Miroku poked his head in. "Suki, I appreciate your wonderful hairstyling, but SANGO IS LATE!"  
  
"Wonderful, Miroku. By the way, you really should let me trim that mop on your head..."  
  
"The answer, as always, is no. Sango, hurry up!" He was clearly getting extremely irritated.  
  
"I'm being tortured here!" Sango wailed as another pin dug into her skin. "Do you think I want to stay here?"  
  
"You're done," Suki snapped curtly. "The nerve! I'm only doing my job, as you should be well aware. Why do you think Miss Higurashi hired me in the first place?"  
  
"She didn't; her mother did," Miroku reminded the obsessed hairdresser. "Sango, come on, you look fine, let's get going." He grabbed her hand and they flew down the hallway.  
  
"Miroku?" Sango panted, clutching her side.  
  
"Yeah?" he replied, clearly sounding stressed.  
  
"Don't you think it would be a good idea for me to have my violin?" she inquired curiously.  
  
He stopped abruptly and blinked at her. "Oh. Possibly," he answered. "Hang on...where is it?"  
  
"My room," she said breathlessly, still holding her side.  
  
"Hang on, I'll go get it," Miroku sighed, and threw himself down the corridor before Sango had time to say, "or it could be in my closet, or in the kitchen, or in the auditorium, or at my normal house, or..."  
  
She waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
By the time Miroku came back, she was pissed, he was pissed, and the taxicab driver was pissed. As the two piled into the cab, Miroku hissed, "Do you know where I found your violin? It was buried under a pile of romance novels, hidden securely under your bed, locked in a suitcase without a key." He glared at her.  
  
"See? I told you it was in my room," she retorted triumphantly. "Driver, could you hurry up? I'm late."  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Taijiya, but I am not letting this vehicle drive above eighty miles per hour!" the harassed driver yelled back.  
  
Sango peered intently at the speedometer. "Well, you're only driving at seventy-six mph, so go faster, would you?"  
  
"Do you want to get us all killed?" Miroku roared. "You're even more of a speed devil than Kagome is!"  
  
"That's nice," Sango muttered. Picking up a pencil from the top of her case, she began fingering the chords in one part of the Mendelssohn, humming as she did so.  
  
Unfortunately for everyone save her, she may have been an exceptional violinist, but she couldn't carry a tune.  
  
"Sango, do us a favor and shut up," Miroku requested calmly as possible, despite the fact that his new client was extremely late, he'd just realized that Sango was a suicidal driver, and he now had a splitting headache from the singing.  
  
"Well, how do you expect me to perform if I can't warm up?" she snapped. "By the way, do I have a piano there?"  
  
He blinked. "You're a violinist."  
  
"No kidding, but is there a piano?"  
  
Miroku shrugged. "Possibly, why?"  
  
"I need to TUNE!" Sango shrieked. "Besides, the cadenza is supposed to complement the piano, and that obviously can't be done if there's no piano."  
  
"Oh, there's a piano," Miroku assured her.  
  
Sango sighed in relief and relaxed, but his next words were hardly comforting.  
  
"There's just no pianist."

* * *

Kagome's cell phone rang again. Sighing impatiently, she snapped it open. "Hello, Kagome Higurashi speaking, if you're a fan, I'm very sorry, but I don't have time right now..."  
  
"Kagome, you fool, it's me!" the other voice yelled.  
  
"Oh. Hi, Miroku. You sound rather...angry."  
  
On the other end, Miroku took a deep breath. "You must be kidding me. Angry barely even scrapes it. Sango's a complete idiot! First she forgets her violin, then she mentions, halfway to the concert, that she needs a pianist, and now she's blaming me for everything! God, why did I ever persuade you to take a vacation?"  
  
"Because you care about me," Kagome purred. "Nah, I'm being ridiculous. Let me talk to Sango."  
  
There were a few minutes' pause before a female voice murmured, "Hello, Kagome."  
  
"Hi, Sango? Miroku just informed me of what's going on."  
  
There was something that sounded like muttered insults on the other end. "I know. I'm sitting in the taxi next to him."  
  
"You're sitting in a taxi?" Kagome gasped. "The concert started two minutes ago!"  
  
"Um..." Sango stuttered. "Yeah. We're almost there. We're pulling in now."  
  
"You're ruining my flawless reputation!" Kagome yelped. "I'm never late! Oh well, there's always a first time. Anyways, just remember, since I'm assuming this is your first concert: DO NOT LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE!"  
  
"Ok," Sango answered, a bit perplexed. "Well, we're here. Bye, Kagome."  
  
"Good luck," Kagome replied. She closed her phone. "What a waste of cell phone batteries!"  
  
"Was that Sango?" a surly voice inquired.  
  
She turned slightly. "Yes, as a matter of fact, it was, Inuyasha."  
  
He nodded and began flipping channels on the TV.  
  
"Oh, by the way, I've invited one of my childhood friends over here. He's my boyfriend, actually, except no one knows about it." She smiled slightly. "Is that ok, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Feh. Who is it?"  
  
Kagome frowned. "His name's Kouga..."  
  
The soda Inuyasha had been sipping spurted out all over the floor as the boy knocked it to the ground. "You're not serious! Kouga the track star?"  
  
"Are you a fan of his?" Kagome asked innocently.  
  
"As if. I hate his guts. You two suit each other. I'm not letting him in this house!"  
  
Kagome's eyes blazed. "Sango gave me custody of this house! I could have you kicked out if I wished, you arrogant jerk! Why are you prejudiced against all rich people, anyways?"  
  
"I'm not," Inuyasha retorted. "Kouga and you in particular. Actually, you're nothing compared to Kouga. The only reason I dislike you is because you look like someone I used to know." He shrugged. "Kouga's the only one I really loathe."  
  
Curious now, she leaned closer. "Why? Did you two know each other?"  
  
"We were best friends, actually," he replied. "We did everything together. You could say we were inseparable." He laughed mirthlessly. "Then, well, in sixth grade, this girl comes." He looked away from her for an instant before turning back. "Her name was Mimi Sukari. Really pretty. All the boys were after her, of course."  
  
He didn't notice the horror on Kagome's face.  
  
"The worst thing about it was that Mimi actually went out with me for a while. I thought she actually cared." He shrugged. "Then, of course, I was waiting by the cherry trees for her one day – that was where we always met – and...she told me. I'll never forget it."  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced at her. "She said, '_You're not good enough for me, Inuyasha. I'm choosing Kouga._' You have no idea what I felt. And now, he's dumped Mimi for you? Well, I should have guessed."  
  
He turned to look at her again and was surprised to see the crystalline beads of water dripping from her closed eyes, streaming down her porcelain cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong? I've gotten over it."  
  
She looked at him for a fleeting moment before rushing up to her room and locking the door.  
  
Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and let the tears come. She stumbled over to her suitcase and tugged at the front compartment, pulling out a small bundle of dog-eared photographs she carried everywhere she went.  
  
The first was of a young girl, held tightly in the arms of a smiling man. Kagome tossed it into a corner, not wanting to look into her father's face and see the lie she embodied.  
  
Next was a scene with the same young girl, wreathed under the cherry trees.  
  
The next was the same picture, except this time...  
  
The girl was standing next to a white-haired, golden-eyed boy, who was clutching her hand and gazing at her with undeniable love.  
  
And in the next, the same girl was clasping the arm of a different boy, whose dark hair was falling into his eyes though he'd tried to secure it with a headband.  
  
She peered more closely at the picture, noticing something she'd never seen before: a glimpse of another boy, the one who'd been holding her hand in the previous picture, hiding behind a tree and watching the couple...  
  
Inuyasha.

* * *

"I can't do this," Sango murmured, gazing out into the audience.  
  
Miroku sighed. "This is why you're supposed to listen to Kagome and ignore the audience."  
  
"I forgot," she apologized lamely. Her violin was wobbling in her hands.  
  
"Look, Sango, you'll be fine. Now hurry up." He pushed her lightly onto the stage.  
  
There was scattered cheering among the spatter of applause.  
  
Which really didn't boost Sango's confidence.  
  
She looked deeply into the swirling patterns of her violin and carefully placed it under her chin. She played the first, vibrating note...  
  
And she knew she would make Kagome proud.  
  
Her fingers flew across the violin, the bow pausing on the top harmonic in her favorite run. She smiled as she played, the sweet notes echoing hauntingly across the concert hall.  
  
And she put down her violin.  
  
No one clapped.  
  
Confused and trembling, Sango almost fainted. But a sudden storm of clapping erupted, and she glanced up at the standing, cheering people.  
  
"They liked me?" she whispered to the air as she dipped into a bow and walked dazedly off the stage.

* * *

Kagome heard the doorbell ring. Groaning, she flopped downstairs, but Inuyasha had already pulled open the door.  
  
"What are you doing here, mutt?" she heard a cocky voice demand. "This is the house of my girl right now, and I'm telling you, she doesn't appreciate unemployed losers like you!"  
  
"Kouga, your greetings grow more eloquent every time," Inuyasha sneered back.  
  
"Tut, tut, Inuyasha. Are you still jealous that I stole Kagome from you?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" the other boy demanded. "You stole Mimi, you memory-impaired freak of nature."  
  
Kouga laughed delightedly. "You don't know?" he exclaimed.  
  
"Kouga!"  
  
The track star glanced up and saw his girlfriend, her eyes snapping. "Um...hi, Kagome."  
  
She advanced, her gaze promising a slow, painful death if he didn't do what she instructed. That was what he loved about her; he never could tell whether she was planning to kill him or kiss him.  
  
"Kouga, you are NOT to mention THE FACT to Inuyasha. Is that UNDERSTOOD?"  
  
He cowered. "Erm...yes."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha interrupted.  
  
Kagome whirled on him. "Get out," she snapped.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Out! I need to discuss some...things with him." She jerked her thumb at Kouga.  
  
"You can't chase me out! Sango..."  
  
"Sango's condition was that I be allowed to let you in once every day, for at least ten minutes, to check in on her younger brother. You've been here long enough. Get out." It was rather interesting that the softer she spoke, the more menacing her voice was.  
  
Impudently, Inuyasha barged out, slamming the door.  
  
Kagome turned to her boyfriend. "Kouga, you really weren't supposed to be here until Sunday, remember?"  
  
He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Darling, are you saying you didn't want to see me?"  
  
"Of course I wanted to see you," she hurriedly replied, gazing at her reflection in the polished gold medal hanging around his neck. "But, well, Inuyasha mentioned a few things that I don't want him finding the truth about."  
  
"Mimi, Kagome, I thought he would have figured out the resemblance," Kouga replied scornfully.  
  
Kagome shrugged. "He's not aware that I changed my last name after father...well..."  
  
"It's ok, Kag," Kouga whispered, enveloping her in a warm hug.  
  
But though Kagome returned the embrace, she felt, somehow, that something was missing.  
  
And she found herself transported back to the cherry trees...holding the hand of the white-haired, golden-eyed boy who was gazing at her with undeniable love.

* * *

Ok, the title does actually have something to do with the story, as you'll find out later. Please REVIEW!!!! Also, if you have the chance, can you read/review my other fanfic too? Thanks. -Silverwolf 


	3. Discovery

Sweet Seduction  
  
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, inu, blah, yasha, blah, blah, blah, not, blah, blah, mine, blah.  
  
Chapter Three – Discovery  
  
The sunlight struck her directly in the face.  
  
Growling, Kagome twisted out of bed and landed in an ungainly heap on the floor where she lay blinking upwards at her boyfriend.  
  
Oh, wait. Kagome jerked herself out of her dreams. That wasn't her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was Kouga, not Inuyasha.  
  
"Hi, Inuyasha," she said patiently. "What are you doing in my room – well, Sango's room – pulling all the blinds open and making me unable to see for a few minutes? And need I mention that you woke me up? And that I'm not very happy about being woken up in the morning?"  
  
He threw something into her lap.  
  
She merely glanced down, turned back to him, and glanced down again. "Oh, a letter from Miroku. Thanks."  
  
"That pup of yours is currently annoying the hell out of me," Inuyasha remarked casually. "I don't suppose it'd be proper to kick the wolf out?"  
  
"It's not your house," Kagome reminded him, a bit too calmly.  
  
He got the hint and stormed out the door, heading for the kitchen.  
  
Ripping open the envelope, she yanked out the bundle of papers within. She grinned as she saw her counselor's practically illegible handwriting.  
  
_To Miss Higurashi:  
  
The esteemed Miss Taijiya recently broke my leg. I need your advice on something. Should I press charges, or should I let it go in the hope that it'll redeem me in her eyes? She really does have exquisite eyes...however, I know you don't want to actually read twenty pages on Sango's etherealness, so I shall stop now.  
  
Anyways, your German Shepard is getting incredibly annoyed. It's stopped eating all the reporters I send in. Also, I called your 'wolf's' house – or should I say mansion? – but no one was home. Damn Kouga's never there when I need him. Grrr.  
  
Sango just mentioned that if I am writing to you, I should inform you that I am a perverted idiot. I think you already knew that.  
  
Actually, things are going fairly well around here. With the exception of my shattered bone, we're all in perfect condition. Well, the reporters aren't, but they don't count. After all, it's rather hard to sympathize with dog food.  
  
Sango's concerts are going very well. According to Tokyo Times, she's better than you at the violin. HAHAHA! (Sorry, got bored of using all that eloquent language. I had to stick something immature in this letter.)  
  
So, how's life over at Wakai Lane? Miss Taijiya mentioned that she wants to go visit sometime this week. Is Friday ok? Or Saturday? How long are we allowed to stay?  
  
Sango asks me to point out that there is no 'we' because I am not allowed in the same car as her when it's just the two of us. I'm wounded, Kagome! She's stabbed me in the heart!  
  
Write back soon. Or Sango will break my skull before I receive your letter.  
  
Your dying companion, Miroku Kaze.  
_  
Kagome grinned as she folded up the letter and stuffed it back into the envelope. She padded downstairs, glancing around the room. The front door swung open and Inuyasha reentered, apparently deciding Sango's house didn't have enough ingredients for the monstrosity of a sandwich he was holding.  
  
"Um...Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?" the annoyed youth answered.  
  
"What did you do with Kouga?"  
  
His golden eyes were laughing at her. "Can't even keep your own boyfriend?"  
  
"It's not my fault if you kicked him out." She frowned at him. "Besides, at least I haven't been dumped for someone else."  
  
She regretted her last comment, however, as Inuyasha slumped against the couch. "I knew I shouldn't have told you about that."  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. I think that pup of yours is in the pool, probably stinking it up." He gestured lazily at the porch windows.  
  
Kagome nodded her thanks and rushed back up into her room. 'Bathing suit...bathing suit...agh!' She zoomed around the house, knocking Inuyasha over in her mad search for her suit.  
  
When she finally found it, she zipped back to the porch, knocking Inuyasha over again.  
  
Kagome pulled open the screen door and blinked at Kouga's feet, which were the only part of his body out of the pool. "Kouga!" she yelped.  
  
The submerged track star let out a muffled yell, which resulted in a few bubbles rising to the surface.  
  
She leapt into the pool, sending water splashing everywhere, and dove underneath the water.  
  
His hands seized her throat, trying to squeeze the life out of her. Thrashing wildly, she lashed out with her foot, and connected with her assailant's knee. His grip loosened momentarily – just long enough for her to surface and let out a weak yell before he grabbed her again, forcing her underwater.  
  
Struggling frantically, Kagome felt her thrashing begin to weaken, then to stop. She flailed weakly, but could not find the strength to reach the surface. Panicking, she tried everything possible, but darkness was beginning to obscure her mind.  
  
Right before losing consciousness, she saw a flash of long black hair and a pair of crimson eyes, laughing at her...

* * *

Sango peered at the flowers. "Miroku, they're really pretty. What are they for?"  
  
Her companion yawned. "They're a get-well gift from my cousin, but I thought you'd like them." He tossed her a charming, though rather roguish, grin.  
  
She smiled at him. "That's really nice of you...GET OFF ME, YOU PERVERT!" The girl frowned. "I should've broken your hands instead of your leg."  
  
"What would be the point in staying in this hospital with all the lovely nurses, then?" Miroku wondered out loud. "Sango, you should be more considerate. Besides," he added hurriedly, catching her disproving expression, "I wouldn't be able to write to Kagome if my hands were broken."  
  
Sango just laughed at him.  
  
He sighed, realizing that his self-pitying tactics wouldn't work. "Well, anyways, how are you enjoying your life so far?"  
  
She shrugged. "Very tiring. Concerts are good, you are somewhere in the middle, and reporters suck."  
  
"I agree, except that I'm better than concerts any day. After all, what can you do with concerts after the sun goes down?" he subtly hinted.  
  
"I don't know," she answered sarcastically, "play at them?"  
  
"But it'll be all dark. You can't see your music." He grinned. "You don't need to see to..."  
  
"That's why there's electricity," Sango explained, cutting him off before he could describe exactly what activities he was thinking of.  
  
He frowned at her. "You take all the fun out of things, dear Sango."  
  
"Good," she answered snidely.  
  
The door swung open as one of the 'lovely nurses', as Miroku had so eloquently put it, entered timidly. "Excuse me, Mr. Kaze, your visitor needs to leave now."  
  
"Bye, Miroku," Sango chirped, picking up her bag and hopping cheerily out the door. "See you tomorrow. I simply can't believe that you broke your leg falling down a flight of stairs." She grinned impudently; her bribery had ensured that he didn't let anyone know of her violent streak.  
  
Miroku glared at her back. "Sango, someday you'll regret that!" he retorted, peering miserably at the cast wrapped around his ankle. "Evil, evil girl."

* * *

Inuyasha bounded to his feet when the faint cry for help reached his ears. Leaping towards the porch door, he stared outside at the tiny ripples spreading across the surface of the pool.  
  
And yet, no one was in sight.  
  
He moved cautiously closer until he saw the strange shape distorted at the bottom of the pool. He leapt in immediately, ducking underwater, heading for the still shape.  
  
Kagome wasn't moving, her long hair swirling around her pale face.  
  
His arms wrapped around her cold body, Inuyasha struggled to the side of the pool and set her down. He tilted her head slightly and checked for breathing, but not even a rasping gasp rewarded his efforts.  
  
This was the hard part.  
  
If only he hadn't learned CPR. Inuyasha bent over her and prepared to administer the mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. Honestly, he didn't even have a face mask. What if she had...Ebola, or something? He didn't want to be infected.  
  
Now he was just making up excuses.  
  
Sensing that her skin was gradually blanching, he threw away his inhibitions and forced himself to bend down, open her mouth slightly, and begin the breaths.  
  
It really wasn't that bad. He realized that after the first breath. Her lips were still somehow warm, though the rest of her was freezing. Another breath, and he withdrew, scanning her for any signs of movement or circulation.  
  
There was nothing. Starting to panic, he carefully arranged his hands in the center of her chest and began the compressions, trying to force water out of her lungs. Fifteen compressions, two rescue breaths, repeat.  
  
Again he listened for any breathing or circulation, and this time he was rewarded with a faint gasp of pain. His cycles were more rapid now, and her eyes flickered open in the middle of the last of his rescue breaths.  
  
Kagome pushed her eyelids open, aware of a very strange sensation. She could barely breathe, and there was something covering her mouth. It was rather annoyed.  
  
She glanced upwards into a pair of rather concerned-looking eyes.  
  
Inuyasha propped her up and helped her vomit out the water. "You're ok," he assured her, though it probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to say to the girl who'd almost died from being strangled and drowned.  
  
Coughing, Kagome managed to scramble to her feet. "That man," she gasped. "Where is he?"  
  
"What man?" Inuyasha asked, standing up and gently placing his arm around her shoulders.  
  
Kagome's hands massaged her throat. "Red eyes," she sputtered, stumbling towards the door. "Red eyes..."  
  
"Calm down," he chided. "Stop trying to talk. Where's that loser boyfriend of yours, anyways? Why wasn't he there to help you?"  
  
"I don't know," she mumbled incoherently. "I thought it was him, but..." Her hands flew back up to her neck. "I don't remember..."  
  
"It's ok. Do you want to go back home...to your home?"  
  
"I need Kouga," Kagome whimpered, and Inuyasha glanced away.  
  
"Fine," he answered curtly. "Go lie down on the couch. I'll find him."  
  
He helped the girl to the living room where she curled up on an armchair and started up the stairs. "Oy, Kouga, you ass, where are you?" he yelped, banging into the guest room.  
  
It was empty. Exasperated, he barged into Kagome/Sango's room and froze.  
  
Something on her dresser caught his eye. He lifted up the first picture and frowned, confused. "Mimi...?"  
  
And then he lifted the next picture, and realized why Kagome looked so familiar.  
  
His finger traced over the intertwined hands of his six-year-old form and Mimi. Again, he felt the tearing at his heart when he pictured that memory, the vision he'd tried to block out for twelve years.  
  
_The cherry trees were in bloom, their pristine blossoms carpeting the ground. Mimi smiled up at him, her eager azure eyes sparkling happily.  
  
"Inuyasha?" the young girl asked innocently.  
  
"Yes?" the boy replied, smiling at her.  
  
"We're going to be together forever, right?" the young girl asked hopefully.  
  
His grip on her hand tightened. "Of course, Mimi."  
  
Her smile was pure gold. "Inuyasha...someday, do you want to get married?"  
  
His answer came in the form of a tight hug, burying his nose in her long, silky hair.  
_  
Inuyasha jerked out of his reverie when a sharp pain pierced his palm. He stared at his hand, which had crushed the frame until the glass cut into his skin, crushed it until the original picture could no longer be seen. And then his gaze darted down, to where the next picture lay innocently.  
  
He could still remember the events leading up to that picture, remember why he, as a six-year-old, had hidden behind the trees and watched Kagome's meetings with Kouga. It still hurt, a scar that refused to heal, that continued to reopen.  
  
_Three years had passed. A nine-year-old Inuyasha laughed with Kouga as the two friends walked towards the school. He paused, however, seeing his girlfriend sweep by.  
  
"Mimi! Where were you yesterday? I was so worried that..." His voice trailed off when she continued to walk away from him. "Mimi?" He did not notice Kouga's triumphant smirk behind him.  
  
She turned slowly, her raven hair swirling around her, shielding her face.  
  
"Mimi...what's wrong...?" Inuyasha asked, fearing the worst.  
  
Finally, she looked at him, her eyes dark and emotionless. "Inuyasha...I suppose this will have to come out sooner or later."  
  
He felt the icy claws gripping at his heart.  
  
Mimi clutched her books tightly to her, glancing at Kouga, who was watching the scene with no small amusement. "You're not good enough for me, Inuyasha. I'm choosing Kouga."  
  
"No..." he whispered, slowly backing away from her. "You...you can't..."  
  
"I'm sorry," she said coolly, turning away again.  
  
And he stood there, his clenched hand slowly crushing the rose he'd meant to give her, watching his world walk away, hand in hand with his supposed best friend._

* * *

Sango pushed open the door of her room and deposited Miroku's sheath of flowers onto her dresser. Well, one of her dressers, anyways. The flowers were really incredibly lovely.  
  
She peered closer at the blossoms, seeing a card accompanying the vase. Pulling it out, she slit open the envelope and scanned the contents.  
  
_Miroku, darling, I heard that you'd been attacked by some vicious slut who managed to sneak into your home. I know we didn't part on the best of terms last time we met, but do believe me when I say that you are my only, my life, my love. From your ever-adoring Leiko.  
_  
"What the hell," she muttered. "Unless his cousin is strange and twisted, the jerk just lied to me!"  
  
She paused, calmly mutilating the flowers by sticking them through a paper shredder Kagome probably used for fan mail. "I think...I'll go visit Kagome," she decided firmly, beginning to toss clothes into a valise. "And just for fun, let's not tell Miroku that I'm going."  
  
Perhaps, of course, she would have reconsidered this decision if she'd seen the blood-red eyes examining her from her huge windows.  
  
Lifting her suitcase, Sango pulled on an outfit of her own so that she looked like a mere passerby. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she pushed open the door and stormed out.  
  
She put on a pair of dark sunglasses to further conceal herself and sauntered casually down the corridor towards the front door.  
  
"Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hmm?" Sango blinked up at one of the guards. Instinctively lowering her voice, she explained, "I...well, I'm Higurashi's biggest fan, and I just had to get her signature..."  
  
"How did you get in without authorized access to the alarm systems?"  
  
"Um...I have my ways," she squeaked, darting out the doors before he got any more suspicious.  
  
Panting, she hailed one of the taxis. "Fifteen Wasai Lane, please," she instructed him.  
  
"Certainly," her driver replied courteously, pulling away from the curb.

* * *

Inuyasha stormed down the staircase. "Kagome?" he demanded.  
  
The girl twisted on the couch and peered at him blearily. "Inuyasha...where's Kouga? I need Kouga," she moaned.  
  
"Damn Kouga. Who gives a shit about him?"  
  
Forcing herself into a sitting position, Kagome stared reproachfully at the seething hanyou. "You could show more sympathy to someone who's almost been drowned."  
  
"You don't really seem to be that upset."  
  
She shrugged. "I've had murder attempts on me before." She stood, shaking back her damp hair, and tried to act confident, although she was still shivering everywhere. "Where's Kouga?"  
  
"This does NOT concern Kouga right now!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
She stared at him. "Will you please explain what's going on?"  
  
He tossed a crumpled piece of glossed paper to her feet.  
  
Even before she picked it up, she realized what it was.  
  
"How could you not tell me?" he asked, his voice so soft that she had to strain to hear it. "I'm living next door to you, making sure everything's ok in here..."  
  
"I'm sorry, I really am," she apologized quietly.  
  
He ignored her. "For kami-sama's sake, I'm fucking dreaming about you every night, and all this time you were right here!"  
  
"Inuyasha, stop!" she interrupted.  
  
He paused, stared at her.  
  
"Do you really think I wanted to leave you?" the girl demanded viciously. "If you need a scapegoat, blame my mother. She was the one who decided my entire future."  
  
She refused to look at him, staring at the ground.  
  
"Look, to her I'm just a puppet, something to be controlled unconditionally. Remember, at that time, I'd already participated in my first television show. She decided that I needed more publicity, and decided to focus on getting me a decent 'partner', as she put it."  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth, but nothing came out.  
  
"I really cared about Mother back then. She checked all the stars of the other TV shows, looking for someone eligible, approximately my age."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No, Inuyasha, stop. I need to get this out." Kagome took a deep breath. "I realize now that we shared a mutual hatred. I suppose I can laugh at my naiveté for really believing that she cared about her family. She was just a conniving bitch, and my father found that out early enough for him to escape."  
  
She paused, nervously smoothing out the picture in her hands.  
  
"And then she began hearing a rumor of a nine-year-old track star who was easily defeating some of the most renowned runners in Japan. So, naturally, she did a bit more research. And, as luck would have it, Kouga went to our school."  
  
Another deep breath, another step closer to tears. Her words poured out now, a steady stream of everything she'd been bottling up.  
  
"Kouga never guessed, of course. He assumed that I really did like him. And in a way, I do; I really am fond of him, but...I love you, Inuyasha."  
  
He sat down heavily on the couch. "And...what happened after that?"  
  
Kagome shrugged. "I moved away, as you well know. I persuaded my mother that I didn't want to stay where you were, and she reluctantly agreed. Luckily for her, Kouga was infatuated with me, and followed me to the new school."  
  
"So he really does care about you."  
  
"I suppose." She considered that. "Afterwards, when I finally decided to take matters into my own hands, I changed my last name, cast my mother away, and began doing things by myself. Kouga encouraged me, of course, and because I'd been with him for so long and you were basically a faint memory in my mind, I decided that there was no point in searching for someone who probably had forgotten about me; I'd just stay with Kouga."  
  
"I didn't forget," he breathed, moving closer to her.  
  
She smiled sadly. "And then I saw you. You don't know how I felt when I looked into your golden eyes again. But you hated me so much...so I built up the walls around my heart and pretended you were a stranger..."  
  
She closed her eyes, her face pale and ethereal.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, a lark trilled once, softly.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her upturned face. She was so close...the epitome of all his misery and joy, all his dreams and nightmares...  
  
Unfortunately for him, at that moment a violent tremor came from the closet, and Kagome leapt up from the couch, racing over and yanking open the door.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Kouga, bound and gagged at the bottom of the closet. "Well, look what we have here, little boy." He patted Kouga condescendingly on the head.  
  
"Oh, do stop," Kagome muttered, carefully untying the knots. She didn't miss the way the track star was glaring at her, and decided it would be prudent to remove the gag last.  
  
As soon as Kouga was free, he sprang to his feet, anger and pain in his eyes, though his voice was quite calm. "How dare you take advantage of me like that?"  
  
"Kouga, think rationally. I really am fond of you."  
  
"Fond?" the enraged youth yelled. He pulled something from his pocket and threw it at her, hitting her raised arm.  
  
She picked it up, her hands trembling as she opened it and saw her reflection in the million sparkling facets of the diamond ring enclosed within the box.  
  
Staring at it, she suddenly cast it from her and ran out of the room.  
  
"I hope you're pleased," Inuyasha snarled at Kouga.  
  
Kouga smirked at him, trying to conceal his mental anguish. If he couldn't have Kagome, neither could Inuyasha. "You know this is all just a stunt for publicity, right?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
The track star rolled his eyes. "Well, just imagine the newspaper headlines. 'Kagome Higurashi breaks up with secret boyfriend Kouga Atari! Atari plans on marrying the young teen sensation, no matter what it takes!' Do you know how fast her reviews would shoot up? And then, of course, after she gets back with me, she'll gain even more popularity."  
  
"You're lying. She said she loved me."  
  
"Believe me," Kouga sneered, "she's told me that many times. I hope you didn't fall for her trick."  
  
He turned to leave, but Inuyasha smashed a fist into his side. "Kagome wouldn't do that! She...she really cares about me..."  
  
"It's been over nine years, you fool," Kouga managed to force out, clutching his side. "You seriously think she cares? Deluded idiot. All she cares about is her money. I should know, I've been her boyfriend for almost ten years now."

"Kagome wouldn't..."

"People change, Inuyasha. Obviously, you've grown stupider."   
  
Inuyasha's next swing connected with Kouga's face.  
  
Or, at any rate, it was supposed to.  
  
With stunning agility, Kouga bounded easily away. "Farewell, Inuyasha!" he called mockingly. "I'll remember you when Kagome comes crawling back to me!"

Inuyasha stared after him, his fist still clenched tightly, the seeds of doubt planted in his mind.  
  
Kouga scooped up the ring from the floor and darted out the door, just managing to avoid a collision with a startled Sango.  
  
Sango peered in at the reemerging Kagome, who was crying silently, and at the seething Inuyasha. "Um...hi, guys. Was this a bad time for me to come?"


End file.
